Pyongyang says it is a nuclear power capable of targeting the American continent

29/11/2017 03:09 PM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Wednesday that his country has become a nuclear power after successfully testing a new type of missile capable of targeting the entire American continent.The launch of the new missile comes more than two months after the latest missile test for Pyongyang, and after a long Asian tour by US President Donald Trump, and aims to "unite the world againstthe threat posed by the threat of the North Korean regime."Ri Chun-hee, the favorite show host of the North Korean regime, appeared on state television to announce the news.She said Kim was "proud that we were ultimately able to achieve our great historic goal of completing the nuclear power of the state.""The great success of the Huasong-15 missile test is an invaluable victory made by the great heroic people," she said.The official press reported that the missile is the most advanced weapon so far.North Korea's official news agency reported that the Huasong-15 ballistic cross-continental ballistic missile is equipped with a very large warhead capable of hitting the entire American continent.She stressed that the development of the missile will protect North Korea from "the policy of blackmail and nuclear threat to American imperialists."Pyongyang said the rocket had flown up to 4,475 kilometers before it crashed 950 kilometers from the launch site.A Western expert said the vertical missile was believed to have a range of 13,000 kilometers, or a distance, for a missile tested by North Korea and thus capable of reaching major US cities.The launch of the new missile comes eight days after Washington decided to re-list North Korea on the list of "countries supporting terrorism" in a move Pyongyang said was a "serious provocation."US President Donald Trump appeared vague in his first response, saying only that "we will take care of it," while the UN Security Council agreed to hold an emergency session.- "Global Threat"For his part, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday stressed that "diplomatic options" to resolve the crisis of North Korea's nuclear program remain on the table "so far on the table."But North Korea's neighbors have taken a different stand as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has condemned "unspeakable violence," while South Korean President Mon Jai condemned the "irresponsible" stance of Pyongyang.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterich also expressed "strong condemnation" of the missile test. He called on Pyongyang to "refrain from new and destabilizing actions".US Defense Secretary James Matisse said the launch was a significant step forward in North Korea's ability to build missiles that pose "a threat all over the world."Trump stressed that his administration would not deviate from its "maximum pressure" policy to curb Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, while threatening a comprehensive response in the event of an attack.David Wright reports the weapons control that the coordinates of the launches indicate that the missile has a range of "much longer" than the missiles previously fired by North Korea."Such a missile would have enough range to reach Washington DC and any part of the United States," he said.But Pyongyang still has to prove it has the technology to return missiles to the atmosphere from space, but experts believe it is about to develop a practical strike force across continents.- "The deterioration of the situation""We may not like it, but we will have to live with North Korea's ability to target the United States with nuclear weapons," said Jeffrey Lewis, an expert at the Middlebury Institute for Strategic Studies.Tension over North Korea's nuclear program has escalated after Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test, the strongest on Sept. 3. It also raised international concern when it fired a medium-range missile over Japan.China, the main ally of the isolated regime, is trying to freeze the joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul to meet the suspension of the military program of the North.However, Washington rejects this approach and announced last week new sanctions against a number of Chinese companies dealing with Pyongyang and shipping to the North.Pyongyang, however, has said it will press ahead with its nuclear weapons policy, warning sanctions are doomed to failure.One of the goals of Donald Trump's Asian tour was to secure support from the region for the hard-line policy he wants toward Pyongyang.Trump made two phone calls to Abe and Moon on Wednesday, stressing that the launch was a threat to "a whole world."Trump has good relations with Abe but accuses his South Korean counterpart of pursuing a policy of appeasement toward the north. Some express concern in Seoul over possible US military action leading to a large-scale war."The situation can deteriorate," he warned at an emergency meeting. "We must avoid being in a situation where the North is misjudging things, threatening us with nuclear weapons or deciding to launch a preemptive strike."